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Uganda, currently strained by refugees from South Sudan

The UN refugee agency UNHCR, is concerned about the current refugee crisis in Uganda, describing it as the largest refugee crisis in Africa.

This follows the displacement of thousands of South Sudanese refugees, who have been forced to flee their country due to the ongoing conflict.

This is what Jesse Kamstra, representative of the Lutheran World Federation in Uganda said:

“This is currently the largest refugee crisis in Africa and the third largest in the world and there is complete lack of international attention on this crisis that is unfolding and I don’t know how many more thousands have to come and flee or die before the international community wakes up and realizes what is happening here on the ground.”

Just last week, the UN agency said more than 1.5 million asylum seekers have taken refuge in Uganda, since the civil war that erupted in South Sudan in December 2013.

He also said:

“Right now in Uganda we have 740,000 refugees and the majority has come since July, that means that over 550,000 have come since July last year and in this year alone in the first six weeks we have seen over 100,000 people that have arrived in Uganda, so all resources for all agencies are stretched to the absolute maximum.”

The latest influx is straining the capacity of transit and reception centres in the country, which are too small for the growing number of arrivals.

Humanitarian organisations continue to appeal for more donor funds, to deal with the refugee crisis in Uganda.